Lifeboat or raft



W. STEWART.

LIEEBOAT 0R RAFT.

APPLICATION FILED JAN-13,1921.

Patented Sept. 13, 1921.,

2filiETS-SHEET l "WEI/10R MLLLAM JIJWARIS A TTOIINEYS UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM STEWART, OI NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.

LIIIBOA'I' 03 mm.

speclaoation of Letters P tent Patented Sept. 13, 1921.

Application mailman-v18, 1021. semi no. new.

fol owing is a full, clear, and exact description.

Thisinvention relates to boats and more particularlyto an improvement inlife boats or rafts.

It is one of the principal obiects of the present invention to provide aife boat or raft of identical construction on its upper and lower sideswhereby the same will properly function irrespective of its launchingthereby eliminating the newssity of employing expensive tack e forlowering the same into the water.

Another object of the invention resides in the provision of a boat ofthecharacter described which is provided with a novel floor constructioneliminating the necessity of bailing and which functions to prevent thesame being drawn down by the suction of a sinking. ship.

A further object'of the invention resides in the provision of a boat ofthe character described which includes a lurality of water tightcompartments, rendering the same non-sinkable and providing storagespace for provisions and water for the passengers and crew.

The invention further contemplates and aims to generally improve andstrengthen the structure of a boat of the character described toeliminate the possibility of stoving in of the sides should the same bethrown against the hull of a vessel in a heav sea.

W1th the above recited and other objects in view, some of which willappear hereafter, reference is made to the following detaileddescription, the appended claims and the accompanying drawlngs forming apart of this application, in which;

Figure 1 is a plan view of a boat or raft constructed in accordance withthe invention.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view therethrough takenapfiroximately on the line 2--2 of Fig. 1. 7

Jersey, have invented a new and a fabricated structure.

independent water tight casion demands. edges of the body sections areprovided with Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken approximatelyon the line 33 of Fig. 2.

ig. 4 is a transverse sectional view taken ap roximately on the line Hof Fig. 3.

eferring to the drawings by characters of reference, 10 designates aeripheral hollow buoyant hull or body de nin a central.

wall or space 11. Preferably t e hull is constructed of a plurality ofmetallic sections which are riveted or otherwise secured together attheir meeting edges to constitute the relatively narrow side portions 12and the lar r end portions 13 which are separated mm the former by thebulkheads 14. The side portions are further sub-dihorizontal stringerplates 16 which are interposed between the. confronting edges andsecured in place by the rivets or other fastening means employed forsecuring the sections together. By this arrangement the side portions 12are sub-divided into a plurality of up or and lower water tightcompartments 17 -17. The end portions 13 of the bod are divided by meansof a vertical longitu inally extending bulkhead 18 into compartments19-19. A plurality of stringer plate; sections 20 are interposed betweenthe outer confronting edges of the sections constituting the endportions. Each of the compartments 17 are provided with one or moremanholes 21 normally closed by water tight covers 22 and each of thecompartments 19 is provided with one or more manholes covered bysuitable water tight covers 23, Whereb access may be had to saidcompartments or the purpose of filling or removing I the contentstherefrom. The portions 13 are further provided with vertically disposedsleeves 24 extending therethrough which constitute and may be properlyutilized as mast steps. The upper and lower surfaces of the hull areprovided with a coaming 25 adjacent the center space or well and theopposite ends of the same are provided with hinged portions 26 which maybe swung to an .0 en position when the ocreferably the confrontingflanges 28 and a combination fender and The hull includes vided by thevertical bulkhead 15 and the and provide additional water tightcompartments for augmenting the buoyancy of the boat. Super-posed decksor floors 31 are arranged horizontally at the vertical center of thewell or space 11, the same being supported by transverse beams 32, saiddecks consisting of a lurality of spaced parallel slats supported y thetransverse beams 32. The slats of said decks are preferably staggered todispose the spaces therebetween of the several decks out of alinementwhereby to minimize the amount of sea which will be shippedtherethrough. Transverse and longitudinal seats 33 and 34: are suitablysupported within the well in superposed relation to the decks or floorsto provide means for seating the occupants of the raft or boat. Angleiron or any other suitable form of brace are properly riveted orotherwise secured to the elements of the structure for properlystrengthening and bracing the same, their disposition being optionalwith the builder.

By the construction and arrangement of the parts described andillustrated, it will be seen that an exceptionally light and ruggedstructure is provided whichproduces a non-sinkable metalliclife boat orraft. The sub-division of the buoyant body or hull into independentwater tight compartments renders the same practically unsinkable due tothe fact that the. destruction of one or a number of said compartmentswill not affect the buoyancy of the boat.

The use of the stringer plates andstringer plate sections together withthe fender and hand rail operate efieetively to prevent the stoving inofthe hull and destruction of the water-tight compartments as the impactand strain of a blow will be taken up by the rail and stringer members.

While there has been illustrated and deseribeda single and preferredembodiment of the invention, no limitation is necessarily made to theprecise structural details as it is to be understood that variations andmodifications wlhich properly fall within the scope of the a pendedclaims may be resorted to when ound expedient.

I claim:

1. In a reversible life boat or raft, a pcripheral buoyant hull defininga central well extending therethrough, a plurality of bulkheads arrangedin said hull to define independent water tight compartments, horizontalstringer plates extending through the side compartments forstrengthening the structure and separating the same into upper and lowerwater tight chambers and stringer plate sections arranged in the endcompartments for strengthening the structure.

2. In a reversible life boat or raft, peripheral buoyant hull defining acentral well extending therethrough, a plurality of cylindrical watertight braces arranged transversely in said opening, superposed decksdisposed adjacent the vertical center of said well between the braces,horizontal stringer plates extending through the side portions of thehull, for separating the same into upper and lower water tight chambersand similar stringer plate sections secured in the end portion of thehull, said stringer plates serving to strengthen the structure.

3. In a reversible life boat or raft, a peripheral buoyant hull defininga central opening, a plurality of cylindrical water tight'bracesarranged transversely in said well at the vertical center thereof,superposed decks arranged horizontally in said well between the braces,said decks consisting of spaced parallel slats, and horizontal stringerplates arranged Within the wall for strengthening the structure againstlateral strains.

4. In a reversible life boat or raft, the combination with a buoyantperipheral hull defining a central well extending therethrough andslatted superposed decks arranged horizontally in said well adjacent thevertical center thereof, of transverse water tight braces extendingbetween and connecting the side portions of said hull, and horizontaltransverse stringer plates arranged within said hull for strengtheningthe structure and resisting lateral shocks and strains imparted to theouter periphery of the hull.

5. In a life boat or raft construction, a peripheral buoyant hullcomprising a pair of substantially semi-cylindrical sections adapted tobe secured together, stringer plates interposed between the outermeeting 116 edges of the end portions of said hull for strengthening thestructure, stringer plates adapted to be interposed between the meetingedges of the side portions of said hull sections and extending acrossthe entire 120 width of the same for bracing and strengthening the hulllaterally and for dividing the side portions of the same horizontallyinto upper and lower water tight compart ments.

6. In a life boat or raft construction, a buoyant peripheral hulldefining a central well and a pair of super-posed decks each consistingof a pluralit of parallel spaced slats, the slats of one eck beingstaggered 130 with relation to the slats of the other deck, whereby todispose the spaces therebetween out of vertical alinement, as and forthe purpose s ecified.

7. A li e boat or raft comprising a hollow water tight hull defining acentral space or well, super-posed decks arranged horizontally wlthinsaid well at the vertical center of the same, said decks consisting of aplurality of spaced parallel slats separat- 10 ing the space into cockpits of identical areas, either one of which will function toaccommodate passengers, and a coaming projectin outwardly from theopposite surfaces of t e hull around said well.

WILLIAM STEWART.

